AFC playoff picture

[bearcat]

After losses by Kansas City and Denver, the AFC playoff scenarios just got a whole lot muddier. Five teams sit at 7-5, and only two get in as wildcards. The Jets, Bungles, Chiefs, Broncos, and Jags all are in position. So who gets in? Cincy and the Jets are in right now.

Jacksonville and Kansas City are horrible road teams. Denver can't even win at home. The Bengals are hot right now, but they are ripe for a collapse. The Jets? Nothing stands out about them.

I think you can knock Denver out right now. How is Cutler going to react on the road? I don't think the Jags get in, especially since they play KC on the road to finish the season. The Jets have an easy schedule, but one slip up, and they might not get in. They get Buffalo at home, and Miami on the road. Two wins right there. Cincy has a rough four games to finish, so does Kansas City, although the one of the Chiefs' tougher games (Bal) are at home, and they have won 17 straight December home games.

Based on all of this, I like the Jets and the Chiefs. Jets as a five seed, and KC as a six.

[McGahee]

I wouldn't say the Jets have an easy schedule. The Dolphins have picked up a lot as of late, and the Jets didn't exactly blow us out the first time either.

I'm rootin for the Bungles and Broncos...

[D-Mac]

I hope ur right bout the Chiefs Bear, but if they dont make it its gonna be Cincy and the Jets. I think pretty much u can count the Jets in becuz they have a really easy schedule.

[bearcat]

But don't you think that Shanahan is selling out the season by starting Cutler? If they make the playoffs, that's just gravy. Personally, I don't see a rookie quarterback going against a defense like San Diego's in San Diego and winning. I would be very surprised if they did.

I think if the Chiefs can get past Baltimore, which is highly possible, then they have a great shot. If not, they're done.

Miller, do you play the Jets again? If so, where? If you play them at home, you could possibly beat them.

That said, I'm sticking by my original prediction. Jets and Chiefs.

[McGahee]

According to your first post, you said we did...

It's in New York... er... New Jersey this Sunday...

So far, only five of the teams we've played are not in the playoffs right now (4-1) but we're just 1-6 against playoff teams. The Jets however have played just five playoff teams (1-4) but are 6-1 against non-playoff teams. So really, I don't see how they're much better than we are right now. Also, seeing how they barely beat us the last time, it's not like they've gotten tremendously better since then, at least not as much better as the strides we've taken...

[Terps]

AFC is getting nuts. Baltimore clinched the North, San Diego clinched the West....New England got SHUT OUT by the Dolphins, and Indy got the s*** kicked outta them by the Jags.

Cincy looks like a good bet to take a wildcard berth, and the Jags looked impressive. Both have a 1 game lead on everyone else in the wildcard.

My BILLS took down the Jets, which I was extremely pleased to see. Vince Young was pretty dynamic in bringing the Titans back against Houston...Tennessee has an outside shot to make it, IMO, but Jacksonville needs to stumble badly.

Things are a little tougher now for Denver/KC/NYJ, but the Jags are very streaky, so they could still squeak in. I think Cincy is in good shape to get the #5 seed, though.

[Chief Bstn]

4th and 11 and they go for the touchdown? Boo SW Missouri State!

/totally off topic

[D-Mac]

Kc is out pretty much. O line played like crap.

[bearcat]

You have to remember, that's probably the best defense we'll play the rest of the way, even better than SD's. The Chiefs still have a chance, but it's a small one. Must beat the Chargers next week to stay in it.

I don't like Jacksonville's chances...as long as the Chiefs are still in the hunt, they still have to come to KC and play, possibly with a playoff berth on the line. I think the Chiefs play well and win by 10+ given those conditions.

The only thing that the Jags have going for them is that they are up by a game, but there are still three weeks to go. If they play the Colts in Indy, I could almost guarantee they would have beat the Jags. And top it off, they have to go to Tennessee now. I think they lose there too. It's far from over.

Like I said, if the Chiefs lose, they are likely out of it. There's still a chance, but I don't think they go to SD and win.

I may change my mind about the Jets. They didn't look too good against Buffalo, and still have a road game at surging Miami. It's still a wide open race.

[Sportsbuck]

Until the Bengals do some major improvements on their lackluster defense, they will not make it past the first round of the playoffs, provided they do make it this year.

[Maize]

AFC Playoff Picture... is a mess. I think once the dust settles it will be Kansas City and the Jets too. Because of the schedule and the Jags and Broncs knocking themselves out, I think thats how it will go.

Colts and Chargers get the bye, so...
New England vs Kansas City -
Baltimore vs. New York Jets -

[McGahee]

How can you possibly still like the Jets... The Bills played with at least five starters who didn't even get barely any playing time last year and still pissed all over that Jets offense. Not to mention Willis McGahee missed half the game and we still put up over 30.

And I don't know how the Chiefs keep coming back in this conversation either. They're 3-6 against their conference, and they don't hold any tiebreakers. They've put up only 20 or more points once in the past five weeks, and that was against CLEVELAND, and they still lost.

The Bengals are in for sure. If you want to talk about easy schedules, they face a wounded Colts team (even with a loss, this is one they can afford), a Broncos team still searching for a Cutler win, and the woeful Stillers... they had one bad 1-5 stretch, but have been on fire before and ever since then. They also hold any tiebreaker with any team. They'd have to slip very badly to miss out, and even then it would take a lot.

Jacksonville should be the other team in it looks like. Asides from Cincy, they're next in line for the tiebreakers, and actually have the highest "strength of victory" in the entire league... New England is probably their toughest game left, but it's a home game where the Jags are 6-1...

[Chief Bstn]

Offtopic:

McGahee, I absolutely love your avatar.

[bearcat]

It's the homer in me, but I will say it again:

This is an if, and a big if at that, but when the Chiefs and Jags play at Arrowhead in the last game of the season, and the winner goes to the playoffs, I'll take the Chiefs.

There's your tie breaker. End of story.

[Leak2Troupe03]

I agree with Bearcat on this one. I would take Jacksonville if the game were in Florida, but I dont see Kansas City dropping another one in Arrowhead. That is one tough place to come into, I could only imagine coming in there with a playoff shot on the line when this team just barely missed out last year at 10-6.

I think its going to be Cincy and KC. Which is a bit frustrating because I know Baltimore really would rather see the Jets and Jaguars get in because Cincy and KC would play us really close in the playoffs.

[McGahee]

Somebody get me a spoon so I can eat my words...

The Bengals defined what the word "choke' meant and the Broncos lost to a strong but beatable Niners team. If the same scenario happened again, I'd make the same picks, and I know for a fact that couldn't happen again.

[bearcat]

Honestly, I would too. Don't feel bad.

[I am a huge CUNT]

How did KC get the go-ahead over Denver? Did KC beat SD or something?

[McGahee]

Kansas City is in because when a tie-breaker is needed to settle a tie from within a division, firstly the division tie-breakers come into effect. Therefore, it came down to division record, which KC held the advantage 4-2 against the Broncos 3-3.